Bilge tunnel for ships



Jan. 23, 1923.

j 1,442,92, G. SIMPSON ET AL. BILGE TUNNEL FOR sHlPs.

FILED APR.26, 1920- 2 SHEETS-SHEE1 I.

Jan. 23, 1923.

1,442,982. G. SIMPSON ET AL.

BILGE TUNNEL FOR SHIPS.

FILED APR.26, 1920. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

I A TTOB/i/EY Cir Patented den, 23%, ldfil ill W 1 GEORGE SIMPSON, OFRICHMUND, AND JOHNSTUN 13L. GORDON, 9F NEW YORK, N. Y.,

ASSIGNORS T0 SIIfilPSON-GGRDON PATENTS, INCH, 0ft? NEW YORK, N, Z., ACDRPO- BATION OF NEW YORK.

BILGE TUNNEL FOR SHIPS.

Application filed April 26,

To all whom it may] concern:

lie it known that we, Gannon Stimson and Jorrnstron ll. GORDON, bothcitizens ot the United States, residing in the borough of Richmond,county of ltichn'iond, and

State of New York, and borough of titan hattan, city, county, and Stateof New it ork,

2 struct the shat't tunnels as to enable then'i to be used for thehousing of the propeller shaifting, and also for the carriage of liquidfuel, feed water, water ballast or for other useful purposes; and to soconstruct the shaft tunnels at the bilge of the vessel. as to enable apart at the outboard side, now

usually wasted or not utilized, to be utilized for ballast, stowage orother useful purposes, and to so connect the tunnelsin the oppositebilges as to enable inspection of the shat ing and hearings on bothsides of the ship without leaving; the tunnels, and provide tor thesafety ot the inspector, in case of accident, by the provision of ameans of escape from the tunnels or shaft ciiiinpartments, as will behereinafter described.

Our invention is disclosed in the drawings wherein Figure 1 is across-section of a vessel having our invention embodied therein; Figure2 is a hold plan, on a similar scale, of the vessel shown in Figure 1;Figure 3 is asection, enlarged, substantially on the line of Figure 2;and l igures 4t and 5 show, respectively, alternative forms ofcompartments adapted tor the protection of the shattinp; and forstowage, according to our invention.

ln Figures 1, 2 and'3 a vessel is conventionally shown, the being; ofthe cargocarrying type, details of which have been omitted because notpertaining to our invention. The numeral 1 indicates the watertightspace tormed by the bilge tunnel structure on both sides of the ship andthrough which the propeller shatting 2 is carried. The forward end ofthe tunnel or compartment 1, on both sides of the ship, is pro- 1920.Serial No. 376,583,

rided with a watertight door 5, which may be set to slide eitherhorizontally or vertically, and which will be operated mechanically orby hand, as may be desired, the said doors being only conventionallyshown, because details of construction are not a partot our presentinvention, it being only necessary to indicate watertight doors at theforward ends of the compartments or tunnels. As shown in Figure 2, thecon'ipartinents 1., through. which the shafts extend, are connected attheir rear ends by a. passage t, so that the inspector may pass from onecomimrtinent or tunnel to theother without re tracing his stepsIJQddlllg up from and out 01 the cross passage 4: is a ladder 5constiucted in a casing); or escape trunk 6 terminating in a closure orhousing *7 on the desk having an exit closed by a door 8, and, at itstop, having applied thereto the cowl ventilator 9. The closure structureis only conventionally shown, since details thereof may be variedconsiderably and do not specifically pertain to our invention. It willbe understood, however, that the trunk 6, in which the ladder isconstructed, is watertight and substantial and constitutes a medium ofentrance to the passageway 4t and tunnels as well a medium of escapetrom and ventilation :tor the cross passage l and coinpartinents Theinner or hold walls 10 of the compartments 1. are formed oi steelplating; supported by and connected to the tunnel framing 11 in anyapproved manner consistent with strength, simplicity and economy.Lotritudinally, the compartments l are partitioned sp' as to provide theoutboard storage space, tank or compartment 12, in Figures 1 and thepartition being formed by the oil and watert'ght tore and aft bulkheadl8 suitably braced and supported by uprights 141 which also aid insupporting. the tunnel framing 15 and'top steel plating 16. The bulkhead1?; may can tend throughout, or only a part of, the compartment space 1,and may be straight or curvilinear in outline. As she vn in Figure Ltheforward end wall 17 oi": the compartment 12 is constructed at a shortdistance within the end wall of the compartment 1, giving ample spacefor the entrance of the inspector and suchunanoeuverinp; he may findnecessary during); the course ot his duties. It will also be seen,viewing Figure 2, that the compartment 12 terminates at a con-

